The reception was organised for the premiere of a production at the Théatre du Chatelet of Franco Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac, in which Domingo sings the title role.
The Operalia has offered young opera singers the chance for a breakthrough onto the international scene each year since it was established by Domingo in 1993. The contest has been hosted by cities such as Paris, Madrid and Los Angeles. Domingo picked Budapest and Pécs to host the 2009 contest - instead of London, Moscow or Monaco - in part because of the city's 2010 European Capital of Culture Programme. It will be the first time the contest comes to Central Europe.
At the reception at the Hungarian embassy in Paris, Domingo said he was a great fan of Hungarian opera singers, such as Andrea Rost, Éva Marton and Róbert Ilosfalvy. He added that the Hungarian Károly Szemerédy had placed third at last year's Operalia.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: MTI